Can we talk about our beliefs? Can we improve the quality of those discussions?
Some of the richest, most fulfilling talks we have involve delving into what we believe and why we believe as we do. – Such conversations can also be uncomfortable or escalate suddenly into very emotional disagreements.
Indeed, what we believe isn’t simply personal. Our beliefs are often intertwined with our core sense of identity – what the world is, who we are, how we fit together.
What we believe is also intensely interpersonal. Our beliefs draw the lines by which we organize society. They inform the ends and means of cooperation or aggression with others. What is our world? Who are they? How do we negotiate each other?
Whether we express our beliefs, whether we examine them, whether we seek out other perspectives, those are personal choices. But our actions are public. Our behaviors toward others have community as well as civic consequences.
We live in a world that appears more volatile by the day. Liberals versus Conservatives, Christians versus Muslims, Atheists versus Christians; the list goes on. Conflicting ideas and values confront us on every side. They can be repellent – or seductive – at turns.
We need to bring empathy and compassion to bear as we think critically about our value systems. And we need to rethink the assumptions behind core beliefs about the World and our place in it. Now more than ever.
We have to talk about belief. We must improve the quality of those discussions!
This blog aims high: to become a practical guide for navigating the morass of today’s competitive belief systems. Not to take sides but to examine questions with an open heart and an open mind. This examination will be critical. But we approach it with the reverence due to the depth of the questions and the meaning they have for our lives.
We do not side with the “Believers.” We do not side with the “Non-Believers.” But we are bold enough to open a dialogue about belief itself, the act of believing, and the choices we make.
We hope that people of all faiths, creeds and persuasions will find some value here. When you’re looking for another perspective, you’ve got TalkingAboutBelief.com. We hope you will join the discussion.
Our path is our own. Our deeds are for others. Let us move forward.
What do you think? Let us know!
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